Taking care of the ones you love
by marivon
Summary: ONE SHOT: Vincent has just killed Darius and rushes to Catherine to tell her what happened. Basically just filling in Vincent's and Catherine's thoughts and emotions. And a scene I would have liked to see between her talking to Heather on the phone and her being at the crime scene.


Vincent returned to his human form and looked around. The two guys who had threatened Heather and Darius were dead. "Heather!" he called out, worried that Catherine's only sister may be seriously injured.

He quickly ran to her and bent down over her, drawing a sigh of relief: she was unconscious but would be fine. While using his super hearing to double-check her heartbeat, Vincent suddenly realized that his and hers were the only heartbeats to be heard in the alley.

He knew that it was futile but he still sprinted over to Darius's body. "Oh no, oh no!" he whispered, as he turned the lifeless body around. He had not meant to kill him, just knock him out to keep him from pulling the trigger on Heather. He had pushed Darius up against the dumpster knocking the air out of him before throwing him down onto the ground, not with vehement force but just to get him out of the way before taking care of the other two guys with guns. Darius must have landed on something sharp or perhaps his neck had snapped when he hit the asphalt.

As Vincent was about to check what had gone so horribly wrong, he could hear police sirens approaching and knew that he had to get out of there. He briefly bent over Heather again, just to make sure she was really going to be fine and then quickly disappeared into the night.

Vincent's mind was racing as he dashed away. He knew that this was bad, really bad: he had killed Heather's boyfriend. He had killed Joe's brother. He had only meant to save Heather but he had caused her pain instead. And Joe would want to find his brother's killer; and the lacerations and the DNA on Darius's body clearly led to him. They would ramp up the search for the vigilante. And Catherine would find herself in the middle of all of this, of all this grief, because of him. Again. It would put her even more in danger. And he didn't want her, or anyone she cared about, to be in danger because of him. Perhaps it was time he walked away from her, this time for good.

While Vincent's mind had tried to come to terms with what had just happened and what this would mean for all of them, his body had continued its way through the city as if on autopilot. Vincent started when he realized where he was: in the back alley behind Catherine's apartment block.

While his mind had been telling him that now more than ever he needed to keep away from her, to keep her out of danger, his body and his heart had led him straight back to her. He needed to see her, to tell her that her sister was OK, and how sorry he was about accidentally killing Darius. Vincent wasn't sure how she'd react but he so desperately needed to see her, talk to her, be near her – because they may not be able to be close again after tonight. As if the guilt were not enough, the thought of losing Catherine was unbearable.

Vincent's head shot up as he felt Catherine close by. He quickly made his way up the fire escape, opened the window and sat down on the windowsill. He didn't venture into the apartment, feeling like an intruder. He had just taken the life of a person who was important to one of the people living in this flat. He had no right to be here. But he still could not will himself to leave: every fibre in his body needed Catherine. He needed to see her.

He listened to her steady heartbeat as she entered the building and took the elevator to the fifth floor. He cringed, knowing that he was going to cause her heartbeat to skyrocket yet again (and not in a good way).

Catherine entered the apartment, still thinking about Vincent's words in the club. Was he serious, suggesting they break up for good? They hadn't even started anything that could be called a proper relationship. She knew that she had made a mistake, asking him to come to dinner with Heather. Had she not only just learned from Alex that Vincent always tried to do the right thing, sometimes against his better judgment? He had agreed to it because he'd seen that it would mean a lot to her. She should not have pushed him.

As she vouched to herself to be more careful, more secretive, when it came to Vincent, Catherine made her way down the hall into Heather's room. She would destroy all copies of the picture of Vincent and herself dancing at the wedding. She had smiled when she first saw the photo, as it perfectly captured Vincent's loving gaze on her, but now she knew now that she should never have mentioned to him that she'd like him to go to her dad's wedding with her. If she had not made up Vincent Zalanski, Vincent would never have shown up at the wedding. Heather would never have seen him and they could have pretended that he was after all a random guy she picked up at a bar. End of story.

Except that Catherine also knew that Sabrina would have hunted her down no matter what after the wedding. And Vincent most probably would not have been close enough to save her. Could have – should have: it was too late now anyway; things were as they were. Catherine sighed as she picked up one of the multiple copies of the photo she had found in Heather's room. As she turned to go into her room, she saw Vincent.

"Vincent!" she called out to him, immediately sensing from his posture that he was not OK. "What's wrong?" she asked, walking towards him quickly and stopping in front of him, debating whether to simply embrace him or wait for him to speak. He had not looked at her yet.

And then Vincent lifted his head, tears in his eyes and Catherine's heart jolted: there was so much pain, fear and loss in that one look he gave her that she knew that he was shaken at his core before he even said the words: "I killed him." Cat looked him in the eyes, sensing that he needed her so much, and asked –afraid of what might come: "Who?" "Darius," Vincent said in a whisper and Catherine couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Before she had proper time to react, though, Vincent continued, desperately needing to get the horrible piece of news off his chest: "Catherine, he had a gun and he was going to shoot Heather…"

Heather? Catherine looked Vincent in the eyes, now as terrified as he looked, and stammered: "Oh my… oh my God! Is she OK?"

"Yeah… There were these guys and they told him to kill her, and he was gonna do it, he was gonna pull the trigger. And I didn't know what to do… It's… You know I didn't mean to…" Vincent's voice trailed off while his eyes begged Catherine to understand, to help him, to not stop caring about him because of what he had done to her sister's boyfriend.

Catherine was struggling to take it all in. The details were a little fuzzy but the important parts stuck straight away: Vincent had _saved_ her sister. And she knew that he had not meant to kill Darius. He didn't need to say it; of course she knew that he hadn't meant to do it. Still, Cat's head started to spin as soon as she started thinking of the repercussions of what had just happened. Immediately, she tried to steady herself: she did not want Vincent to think that her bodily reaction was one of disgust towards him. She knew that Vincent always struggled with the lives he had taken, but she had never seen him in such a fragile state as tonight.

Catherine was about to pull Vincent in her arms, giving into her first instincts, when her phone rang. She drew a couple of quick breaths, hoping not to sound too frazzled to Heather (because she was sure it was her sister calling her, in desperate need of comfort) and also to Vincent (who needed her to comfort him, probably as much as –if not more than- Heather did). After reassuring Heather that she'd be with her as soon as she could, Catherine slid her phone back into her coat pocket and took both of Vincent's hands firmly into hers.

"I know you didn't mean to, Vincent. I know. Will you please come with me in the car – at least part of the way- I don't want to leave you alone right now but Heather needs me! I need to go to her…"

Vincent closed his eyes at Catherine's words and the tears that had threatened to fall finally did so. She understood! It did not change what he had done, and the consequences of his actions, but she understood! Catherine's words were balm for Vincent's tortured soul, and alleviated his guilt for the briefest of moments.

"No," said Vincent, trying to regain his composure. "I think I should just make my way back to the warehouse." All he really wanted was to be with her, to be comforted by her, but he knew that would be selfish. "Catherine, your sister needs you, go!"

"Promise me you will go straight back and stay with JT until I can come to you," Catherine whispered. Vincent averted his gaze as she tried to look him in the eyes. "I mean, I don't know what state Heather is in but I will come, I promise…" Vincent knew that he had to leave now before he broke down completely. Catherine needed to go to Heather. He had no right to want and need Catherine as much as he did. He just would have to deal with his issues himself.

"Catherine, I'm so sorry…" whispered Vincent as he quickly got up and slipped out of the window before Catherine had time to thank him for saving her sister.

Once Catherine was in her car, she called JT. She told him what had happened and that Vincent needed his loyal friend. JT agreed to immediately let her know when Vincent arrived at the warehouse and promised to take good care of him. For the rest of the drive to the alley behind the club, Catherine's thoughts were equally occupied with Heather's and Vincent's wellbeing. They both needed her and she would do her utmost to help both of them back onto their feet.

Shortly after, Catherine held a crying and shocked Heather in her arms. Then she saw Tess and Evan arrive at the crime scene. And then there were Joe and his wife. Joe was heartbroken, sobbing uncontrollably. Catherine's heart went out to him, of course, but she also knew that Darius had been hiding something which is why he ended up in an alley with a gun in his hand, forced to point it at Heather.

As Catherine stood there, reflecting on the situation, she suddenly sensed that someone was watching her. She could barely make him out on the roof of a nearby building but she knew he was there. Taking a few steps back, Catherine hid behind the ambulance door and quickly typed a text message: _Vincent, please don't do this to yourself. Go home! I will be there for you before the night is over, I promise _

About an hour later, Catherine and Heather were at the precinct because they needed Heather's statement. She could only tell them that the two guys in the alley had been threatening Darius and that one of them had knocked her out. She didn't know who or what had killed the three men and why she was still alive and unharmed. Catherine knew very well, and as the night drew on, her thoughts were focussing more and more on Vincent: was he OK? Hopefully he'd be back with JT soon. But she hadn't heard from JT.

Catherine was so worried about Vincent that she could hardly keep a cool head when Evan confronted her about her relationship with the vigilante. She had guessed already that Evan _had_ seen Vincent at the car the night of the accident and that he had been testing her. But then, when he suggested that the vigilante was circling her like prey, she had nearly lost her temper: Vincent was no predator! She had always known that but the way Vincent had reacted tonight proved that beyond a doubt. It took all the energy Catherine had left to tell Evan that he didn't need to worry about her and walk away.

As she was walking back towards Heather, her phone beeped. Catherine drew a sigh of relief as she read JT's message: _Went to look for big guy. Just found him. Don't worry, I'll keep him safe and talk some sense into him._

It was nearly midnight when Catherine finally bent down over Heather who had taken a few sleeping pills and told her that she loved her very much. She had texted Vincent at 11.40pm to say that Heather would be asleep soon and that she was going to go to him straight after her sister had fallen asleep. She had not heard back.

Cat shuddered with tension and worry as she turned off the light. Then her phone beeped. _Please don't leave Heather alone. I'm on my way over. See you on roof in 15?_ Catherine smiled: JT was a wonderful friend. She was going to get her chance to thank Vincent for saving her sister, after all. And she would do everything in her power to make sure the man she loved would be all right. With that thought, Catherine made her way up to the roof.


End file.
